Comatose
by AnAshBlackSword
Summary: As Jazz lies in a coma he may never awake from, Prowl stays with him and reflects on their friendship, including the moment when he and Jazz first formed their brother-bond.
1. Comatose

Since the moment Ratchet had re-onlined Jazz's spark, Prowl had sat by his brothers side constantly. He rarely left the room, working by his brother's side, refuelling by his brother's side, recharging by his brother's side. Every day, he would whisper to Jazz to online, to respond, to do anything except offline.

Prowl had been galaxies away when Jazz was offlined. He had felt his brother disappear, and when he had arrived on earth, he was told by Prime that Jazz had been ripped in half by Megatron.

_"__Where's Jazz Prime? Where's my brother?"_

_"__I am sorry to inform you Prowl, but Jazz has been offlined by Megatron,"_

_"__That's not possible. Jazz is smarter than to just go and offline in battle! You're lying!"_

_"__I am sorry Prowl."_

After that, Prowl had simply shut down really. He never left his office unless it was for recharge or Prime ordered him. Punishments were harsher and given without mercy for the smallest of offences. Even the twins had stopped pranking him for fear they might get on the wrong side of his now fearsome temper.

The void in his spark had been impossible to fill. Every tim he reached for Jazz along the brother bond, he was met with a rebound and an empty aching space where his brother should have been. Those months had been the worst.

He had been there as Ratchet attempted to use the allspark to bring back Jazz from the well of sparks, hoping against hope that Primus would see fit to give Jazz back to the world of the living. He had _felt _Jazz's conscience flicker to life, filling the empty void in his chest once again. Prowl was elated until Jazz did not online. One day past, then a week, then a month. Ratchet had eventually come to a conclusion about this mystery.

_"__There just isn't enough energy Prowl. Yes, Jazz is alive, but whether he onlines or not depends on how strong he is. He may never online. I am sorry."_

_"__But there is still a chance, correct?" _

_"__Yes, it is just very slim."_

_"__I'll wait for Jazz that spark monitor stops, until then, I'm not giving up on him Ratchet."_

So Prowl had waited, day and nights, orn after orn, he had waited. He had ignored his damn logic processor and asked to be able to work in the medbay. Ratchet had granted his request, though Prowl knew it was because he thought Jazz wouldn't make it and would simply fade away. But he was wrong. His brother was too fragging stubborn to lie down and offline. Jazz would never leave him. Jazz had promised him.

_"__After we bring the cons who destroyed Praxus to justice, will you leave? Sentinel Prime is looking for a Head of Special Ops too you know. Maybe you could go there."_

_"__Ah'm not goin' anywhere. Ya need meh too much." Prowl stopped short at this, he could deny that, but it would be a lie. _

_"__I do need you, yes and…."_

_"__Ha! Ya admitted it! Finally!" _

_"__Don't tease me please."_

_"__Alrigh', Alrigh', but just so ya know, ya are nevah going to get rid of meh. Ah promise."_

Prowl turned to Jazz and looked at his faceplate, gently bringing a hand up to it. Today would be six earth weeks since Jazz had onlined. Everyone had lost hope now, even Ratchet. It was only Prowl who remained hoping.

_"__Do you think we can rescue Ratchet from Kaon Jazz?"_

_"__I dunno Prowler, but we gotta have hope see. Hope is the one thing tha' will keep us goin'. The only way to win this pit-slaggin' war is to have hope. If ya give up, ya got nothin'." _

He lifted his head and retracted his hand as Ratchet entered the med-bay.

"No change?"

"No."

"Prowl, maybe it would be best to…"

"No Ratchet, that's not an option." Prowl ended the conversations abruptly. The medic nodded and turned away to his reports. Prowl looked back at Jazz. He owed Jazz his life, it would be poor repayment to offline him now.

_"__I believe this is the 6__th__time you have saved me from offlining. I am once again in your debt Jazz."_

_"__Ah've said it before, and ah'll say it again, ya owe me nothin'. Ah'm ya friend. Friends save eachother and expect nothin' in return Prowler."_

Friends. That was the first time Jazz had called him a friend, and at that moment Prowl had realised that he did view Jazz as a friend. In fact, Jazz was his closest friend and his confidante. He turned to Jazz in his orns of need, Jazz had seen the small, broken parts of Prowl that were buried under the logic and not rejected him. In turn, Prowl accepted Jazz with all of his broken parts too. Jazz was Jazz, and without the flaws, he would not be Jazz.

Although, Prowl regretted that he screwed up a lot. Sometimes he was too harsh and there were fights between them. Prowl hated it when he fought with Jazz.

_"__If you had paid attention to the protocol Jazz, then maybe those mechs would be alive!"_

_"__If ah had followed that slagging thing, more mechs would be dead! Listen to meh Prowl!" _

_"__I have! And it is clear that because of your irresponsiblility, you have caused the death of some good mechs Jazz!"_

_"__Well, ah'm sorry for not bein' perfect, Commander." _

Jazz had stalked out of the room after that. Later on Prowl had felt terrible. Worse than slag that had been through a compactor. After he had gotten over being angry, he had been terrified that he would lose Jazz's friendship. Scared about losing the one closest to him, he had made Jazz a sorry present and a note, although words were not good enough for how sorry he was. He had then hidden in his office and buried himself in datapads.

"I'm still sorry." He whispered to Jazz. However, one of Jazz's best qualities was that he was extremely forgiving and rarely held a grudge.

_Prowl lifted his head up as somebot banged on his office door. _

_"__Come in." Jazz appeared in the doorway and instantly, Prowl prayed for Primus to smite him now. He considered hiding under the desk, ashamed to even look at Jazz. He looked down at the desk. _

_"__Afternoon Jazz." _

_"__Don' give meh none of tha' Prowl." Prowl winced, Jazz was definitely still angry with him and had probably come here to shout at him. He deserved a lot worse, considering that he had accused Jazz of being the cause of offlining for some mechs. "Why do ya think ah'm here?" The question startled Prowl._

_"__Probably to end our friendship. I said some hurtful, insulting and untrue things earlier and you probably hate me." Jazz said nothing. Prowl continued to stare at the desk. _

_"__Prowler." Prowl studied the desk pattern. "Prowler, look at meh." Prowl refused to look. "Prowler.." Jazz put a hand on his faceplate and turned Prowl's faceplate up. Prowl stared into the mech's visor. "Ya are a pit-slaggin' fool. Ah'm not going to end our friendship? Are ya out of ya pit-fraggin' processor?! "_

_"__But, I fragged up."_

_"__We all frag up! Ya ain't perfect Prowl, we all make mistakes, doesn't mean ah'll the ya for 'em." Jazz's digit brushed away the energon tear that had appeared at the edge of Prowl's faceplate. "Ya really thought ah was going to hate ya…." Jazz said quietly. Prowl nodded. "C'mere." Jazz embraced him and Prowl whispered apologies over and over again. _

_"__An' what's with the letter? Ya are an idiot Prowler. 'I hope we can still be friends', what the slag are ya on? Of course we can be friends ya stupid slagger!"_

Prowl wiped the stray energon tear from the edge of his optic. Jazz was his friend, then he had found himself viewing Jazz as family. Jazz had taught him about how it was okay to feel, to be imperfect and still feel good about himself. Everything Prowl knew about feelings and how to manage them came from Jazz. If he lost Jazz, he would lose his emotions. He regretted not making the brother bond sooner, he regretted not having approached Jazz sooner. He regretted so many things and if ….no, when Jazz onlined, he would be there for him more than he ever had before.


	2. forming the bond

**FLASHBACK**

It was a beautiful orn, and Prowl was sitting alone on the edge of what could be described as a large metal cliff. The sky was a rainbow of colours as the cybertronian sun set over the sea of rust. Prowl turned his head as he heard somebot behind him. He knew instantly who it was.

"Jazz."

"Ah thought ya would be out here. What's the matter Prowler?" Prowl had been thinking about Praxus again, about how he could have saved them and not failed his job as a law enforcer and protector. "C'mon Prowler, ya can tell meh anythin'." Jazz persisted.

"Just Praxus." Jazz sat down next to him.

"Just Praxus he says, just Praxus.." Jazz scoffed. "Ah don' worry 'bout meh Jazz, ah'm just thinkin' 'bout Praxus and feeling bad again. Don' worry 'bout me Jazz, ah can take care of mahself. Pff, that's a loada slag Prowler, and ya know it." He moved closer to Prowl. "How many times do ah have to tell ya? Ya couldn' of done anythin' to save them Prowler. Ya did what ya could." Prowl sighed heavily.

"I could have done thout Jazz, I could have tried to evacuate more people and predicted the attack. I should have predicted the attack! If I had then I could have saved them, but I didn't and now they are offline and it's all my f…." The hand was clamped over his mouth before he could get out and Prowl found himself staring into Jazz's visor, only inches away from his optics.

"No it ain't. Ah've told ya before and ah'll tell ya again. It ain't ya fault Prowler." Prowl hung his head and nodded. Jazz gently removed his hand from Prowl's mouth.

"I am sorry."

"Don' be, there's nothin' to be sorry for." Jazz leaned back and rested on his hands, staring up ay the sky. "Now are ya gonna tell me 'bout tha' fancy mission or wha'? Don' leave a mech hangin'." Prowl relaxed and explained his mission to Jazz, who listened attentively, although he didn't really understand all the tactical details. He then in turn asked Jazz about his mission.

"Eh, not bad." Jazz could rarely explain his missions, seeing as they were top secret. Prowl nodded understandingly, knowing if Jazz did not elaborate, it meant he was not allowed to elaborate. "Ah missed ya." The statement was so out of the blue, that Prowl couldn't say anything.

"Oh." He then cursed himself, realising how bad that sounded. "I missed you too Jazz." Jazz smiled at him and he smiled back, logic processor cursing him all the while. He considered doing something irrational and turning off the damn thing, but was instantly bombarded with the stupidity of doing that.

"Was tha' a smile I saw on Commander Prowl's faceplate?! By Primus, ah must be goin' mad." Jazz said, grinning wickedly. Prowl shoved Jazz good naturedly, logic processor still screaming.

"Respect your commanding officer." He joked. Prowl was once again bombarded and annoyed with himself and with the stupid thing, he did something he hadn't done in vorns. He switched it off, and suddenly the warnings stopped and he felt better, much better.

"My, a joke aswell? Ah'm sick! Call the Hatchet!" Jazz shoved Prowl back, and then continued this until they were both laughing too hard to continue. Prowl felt at peace with himself for once and with the world. "C'mere." Jazz pulled Prowl for a hug, and Prowl did not resist, knowing of Jazz's need for physical affection. Jazz kept his arm around Prowl and they sat like that for awhile, both perfectly comfortable in the other's presence.

"Prowler…" Jazz started to say.

"Jazz."

"Ah been meanin' to ask ya somethin'. Ah've been thinkin' 'bout it on the misson an'…well.."

"Yes?"

"Will ya bond with meh?" Prowl turned to stare at Jazz in shock. Seeing the look on his faceplate, Jazz laughed. "Not like tha' silleh, ah mean ah brother-bond. Ya know, like Raj and dino." Prowl was stunned. Jazz wanted a brother-bond? With him of all mechs?!

"But Jazz, why me? I'm a grumpy, stuck up prick. Everybot I have ever come across says so. I get worked up and honestly? I'd be a pain in the aft and you'd get fed up with me rather quickly." Jazz thought for a moment.

"First of all, ya ain't a grumpy, stuck-up prick. Second of all ah ain't ever called ya that, so not everybot. Third, ah'd never get fed up with ya Prowler! Ya are everythin' ah ever needed or wanted in a brother. Ya listen, ya are clever, ya care a lot about things although ya rarely show it and ya work so Primus-damned hard all the time! Ya are amazin' Prowler." Prowl looked at him unbelievingly. In response Jazz removed his visor and looked him in the optic.

This caused Prowl to shift uncomfortably, for Jazz wore a visor as he was sparked almost-completely blind with almost white optics. Jazz hated his optics and disability almost as much as he hated Megatron. As a result, no one had ever seen his optics, save for Prowl once during a rescue and Ratchet as he fixed Jazz's visor. For Jazz to remove it voluntarily was the ultimate sign of trust for the saboteur, and Prowl knew this.

"Ah mean it Prowler." Prowl knew that for a brother-bond, two mechs had to be spark-compatible as well as have a pre-existing friendship and even then there was only a 10% chance of success. It was a good thing the damn logic processor was off.

"I would be honoured to form a brother-bond with you Jazz." Jazz grinned again, even wider than before and reached for his visor. "Don't." Prowl told him. "Don't hide from me." Jazz nodded.

"So…um, any idea how this works Prowler? I got nothin'." Jazz laughed a little shakily.

"Yes, so you um, open your um, spark chamber and I open mine and then we kinda just wait …. In um close proximity and then it should just happen." Prowl stuttered out, embarrassed. Jazz, ever bold and cocky, pulled open his spark chamber.

"Like tha'?"

"Um, yes." Jazz laughed at his discomfort.

"Wha's the matter Prowler, ain't ya never seen a spark before? Jazz teased gently.

"Um, well no." The smile dropped.

"Me neither. So um, open up I guess." Prowl opened his spark chamber, scared at being so exposed, but this was Jazz. Jazz his best friend. Jazz would never, ever hurt him. Jazz pulled him closer.

"Are ya sure 'bout this? If this works, ya are stuck with meh."

"I'm sure." Jazz nodded and they watched, spellbound as tendrils of electric blue energy reached for eachother. As the tendrils touched, Prowl felt Jazz's conscience within his mind and reached hesitantly for it. As he did, Jazz reached for him and their memories merged together. Coherent thoughts became clear through the bond, and nothing was hidden. Prowl found himself seeing Jazz's memories and entire being. Nothing was hidden from him, and even if he could hide it, Jazz wouldn't have. He wanted Prowl to know who he really was, just as he wanted to know who Prowl really was. omewhere during the bonding, both mechs were offlined, still bound by the tendrils of energy. Just as the bond was complete, Prowl felt a thought over it.

**::Now ya never have to be alone again. Ah'll always be here for ya, ah promise. Always brother." ::**

**END FLASHBACK**

Prowl wiped the energon tears from his faceplate and looked over to where Ratchet was watching him.

"Are you alright Prowl? Do you need anything?" _I need Jazz. _Was the thought he had, but instead he told Ratchet he would be fine.

"I'm just thinking." He said. Ratchet looked very unhappy with that explanation, but knew that even if he pressed the matter further, he would get no response. Prowl stared at Jazz, wishing with all his spark that Primus would allow him to be selfish and that Jazz would online. He needed his brother, for since they had bonded, his entire world had been centred around Jazz and Jazz's around Prowl. Like a binary star system, one could not exist without the other. Without Jazz there could be no Prowl.

_Wake up, Jazz. I need you, more than you'll ever know brother mine…_


	3. Wake Up

**|| Speaking over Commlink ||**

**:: Speaking over bonds ::**

Ratchet sighed as he came into the med-bay with Prowl's energon. The mech was in the same position he had left him in, refusing to leave Jazz's side, not even to refuel or recharge. He placed the energon beside Prowl and turned away, ready to go about his business, when Prowl spoke.

"Do you remember the first time he attacked the fortress of Kaon?" Prowl asked randomly, and a smile passed over the Medic's face.

"Of course, who wouldn't? I was convinced he was going to get blown up you know, running around in front of the entirety of the decepticon troop, constructicons included. That would have been quite the repair job." Prowl chuckled dryly and Ratchet along with him.

"As I recall, he did end up blowing both his legs off below the knee by stepping on a mine."

**Flashback**

Prowl cursed as he saw the troops outside the entrance to Kaon. They needed to make it past, or all their preparation would have been for nothing. He looked behind to the Autobots gathered around him.

"We need a distraction whilst the rest of us sneak around and infiltrate the defences to get those locations." He told them and waited for any volunteers. To his surprise, it was Jazz who practically sauntered up, grinning from audio-receptor to audio-receptor.

"Raj can ya get those codes?"

"Sure."

"Then ah volunteer mahself. See ya later commander." And with that, Jazz walked straight in front of the enemy troops and yelled at them. Prowl could feel a glitch coming on. What was his glitchhead brother doing?! He turned back to his comrades, inwardly seething and waved them on around the path that would lead them past the troops to the hidden entrance into the fortress.

"Oi Glitchheads! Ya think ya are all the mightiest warriors tha' Cybertron has ever seen righ'? Well ah think ya are a load of sparkless, spineless sparklings cowering in ya armour like ah creatorless femme sparklin'" Jazz was yelling, and Prowl groaned inwardly and raised an eyebrow at Ratchet, who shrugged.

"Whatever the slagger is doing, it's working." Ratchet replied, certain that someone was going to blow up Jazz any minute.

"Ah challenge ya best warrior to a one-on-one!" Prowl clenched his teeth together, they were almost at the doorway.

A huge mech stepped forward.

"I accept your challenge, Autobot."

"Good mech! Now, this won't be any ol' challenge, cause tha' would be borin' righ'?" He hollered at the crowd and a few shouted back in agreement. "Ya all wan' a good show righ'?" He shouted again and more shouts joined in. Prowl watched as Mirage and Dino opened the door and they, along with Bumblebee and Ironhide ran into the decepticon base. He and Ratchet were left on guard duty in case any decepticons spotted them.

"Alrigh' then! I challenge yah…. To a dance-off!" Jazz announced and the taller mech was dumbstruck. Prowl and Ratchet held their breath as the mech considered, before an evil smirk lit up his face.

"I will oblige you to a dance-off Autobot, before I blast you into scrap-metal." Jazz smiled and offered his hand, to which the decepticon shook. Jazz blasted music from his speakers and the dance-off began.

"I can't actually believe that this is working." Ratchet said beside Prowl who made a noise of agreement and continued watching.

"This is certainly something you don't see every day." He remarked and Ratchet shook his head.

"I'll say."

They watched, hidden, as both Jazz and the Decepticon began to break-dance, Jazz pulling an array of complicated manueveurs. For his size, the decepticon was quite good but Jazz was by far the better of the two. Catcalls came from the watching decepticons who were enjoying the fun quite a lot.

To Prowl's relief, the others appeared and Mirage looked very pleased.

"I have the codes commander."

"Excellent, now we begin the assault." And hopefully rescue my dumbaft brother.

**:: Jazz, we are about to begin the assault. ::**

**::About fragging time! ::** Was the snarky reply over the bond. Prowl commed Prime and told him to begin the assault with his bigger team. At the same time, Prowl's team rushed the decepticons from behind. Jazz quickly moved out of the way.

Straight onto a hidden mine.

There was a colossal explosion and Prowl's spark stopped as Jazz and the nearby 'cons were thrown high into the air. Jazz landed and Prowl rushed over to him.

**|| Ratchet! ||** He commed the medic.

**|| I've seen. Cover me. ||** Was the grim reply.

They ran over to Jazz, who was on the ground, seemingly stunned. Then he began to do the most unexpected thing and laugh. Prowl looked at him in confusion, deciding it was processor damage most likely before Jazz grinned up at him.

"Ah can believe tha' actually worked! Ah thought ah was gonna get offlined!"

"You're a fragging idiot." Prowl told him and looked him over. Jazz was missing both of his legs from the knee down, but other than that he seemed to be fine. It could be worse, Ratchet could deal with missing limbs.

"For the love of Primus, stop moving!" Ratchet roared at Jazz, who did so but still kept laughing.

"Tha' was amazin'! What a way to distract 'em! Tha' was amazin', Ah'm awesome righ' Prowl!"

"Be quiet and let Ratchet work." Prowl told him in exasperation. Trust Jazz to have a near death experience and then laugh his aft off about it. Most bots wouldn't be laughing their afts off.

Most bots wouldn't have a dance with a decepticon.

"Help me move this slagger Prowl." Ratchet said and Prowl did so. They carried Jazz back to the ark, Jazz laughing his aft off all the way.

**End of Flashblack.**

"He's a slagging glitch, that's for sure." Ratchet said, gesturing violently as Jazz's lifeless body. Prowl looked down at Jazz.

"That he is, and I was really mad with him for orns after until he apologised. You now, if he woke up now I wouldn't be mad…. Well I would, but I wouldn't. That's just such a Jazz thing to do though! Attack Megatron of all 'bots! It's a thing only an insane mech would do and not even then."

"Only Jazz would do it."

"Exactly, and now he's paying the price for his stupid slagging actions and he might offline and I… I…" At that, Prowl realised that the energon tears were falling freely down his cheeks and he wiped them away, horrified to be blubbing in front of anyone, let alone Ratchet. He wiped them away, and squeezed Jazz's lifeless hand.

"I wish I'd be there to stop him." He added in a whisper and Ratchet nodded.

"That's why you have such a good bond. He does stupid slag, you stop him doing it. It's the same with Sunstreaker and Sideswipe, Sunny gets mad and Sides calms him down. The chevy twins however, are just idiots with an offlining wish sent from the Unmaker himself."

Both mechs snorted at the thought.

"There's nothing you could have done Prowl, and nothing more either of us can do." For the first time, Prowl looked at the medic and realised that he too was suffering more than the rest of the crew. Ratchet blamed himself for not being able to do anymore, just like Prowl did.

"What fools Primus makes of us all."

"Indeed." There was a pause and then Ratchet spoke again.

"If I said you could recharge on that berth right there, would you? Jazz wouldn't appreciate you offlining yourself over worry." The berth was right next to Jazz's and Prowl thought about it.

"Will you inform me if there is any change in his condition?"

"Of course, now drink your energon and get some recharge." Prowl did as he was told, and was out as soon as his helm hit the berth.

The medic scanned Prowl, and then Jazz for good measure. Seeing no change, he went over to Jazz and tapped him lightly with a wrench.

"Wake up already slagger, we all need you and Prowl most of all." He said softly before sighing and returning to his work.


End file.
